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Background Information:
Book: Youke Leicui (Essentials of Pediatrics); Author: Wang Luan; Dynasty: Ming; Chapter: Fifteen Signs of Death in Infants / ... / Treatment Methods for Various Conditions at Birth (Total 4 Sections); Category: Comprehensive.

Original Text Translation:

If red vessels on the upper eyelids extend downward through the pupil, the fontanelle swells and forms a pit, the nose is dry, black, and parched, the abdomen is distended with visible blue veins, the eyes are mostly fixed staring without moving, the fingernails are black, suddenly making a crow-like sound, the tongue appears flaccid and retracts, the anus clenches, teeth gnash, biting occurs, fishy breath, rapid breathing, crying without sound, and ascaris worms have been expelled; these are necessarily signs of death. If medication is administered urgently to save them, not one in ten will survive.

When an infant is critically ill and sweating profusely like pearls that adhere to the body but do not flow, it indicates death.
When an infant is ill and all hair stands erect, it indicates certain death.
When an infant is ill, the fontanelle is sunken, lips are dry, eye skins are reversed, cold air exits from the mouth, limbs hang down, the lying position is like being bound, and palms are cold; all are untreatable.
When an infant suffers from wind-heat causing wheezing and panting with shoulder lifting, a slow pulse indicates survival, while a rapid pulse indicates death.
When an infant has dysentery with a floating and large pulse accompanied by abdominal pain, it indicates certain death.
When a nursing infant has fever with a suspended and small pulse, warm hands and feet indicate survival, while cold hands and feet indicate death.

The Qianjin Lun (Thousand Gold Formulas) states: When a child emerges from the womb, flesh and bone are not yet consolidated, muscles are not formed, and it is still essentially blood. When blood coagulates, it hardens to form muscle. It also says: [Infants are fragile] like bubbles on water or dew on grass tips.
In the first lunar month after birth, how can the evil pathogens of the eight winds of heaven and earth cause rapid harm? This is primarily because during pregnancy, the mother failed to protect herself properly, or excessive labor disturbed the qi and blood, or sitting/lying, hunger/fullness acted upon each other, drinking alcohol and eating meat created conflicts between cold and heat, and fear, shock, and jolts caused chaotic blood vessels. Toxins accumulated internally, damaging fetal qi. After birth, conditions such as fetal heat, fetal cold, fetal obesity, fetal weakness, fetal fright, and fetal jaundice arise. Externally, improper methods for bathing, wiping the mouth, cutting the umbilical cord, or moxibustion on the fontanelle, or tight binding causing fright, inappropriate breastfeeding, or imbalance of cold and warmth, lead to conditions such as locked jaw, umbilical wind, locked belly, and failure to suckle. Patients suffering from these are difficult to treat. Sitting idly watching them die is truly pitiable. Thus, the Yellow Emperor said: "I cannot examine the young and tender, considering them a separate category requiring different management." Only infants have delicate zang-fu organs, weak qi and blood, loose skin and muscles, and unprepared spirit. The Yellow Emperor found this particularly difficult. Therefore, those who prescribe medicine must clearly understand the waxing and waning of physical signs, determine life and death, observe the depth and superficiality of the patient's condition, and know the cold and warm nature of medicines; only then can they be excellent physicians of their generation.

Fetal Heat arises when the fetus is in the womb and the mother experiences frequent palpitations or fears, or consumes hot and toxic foods. After birth, the infant often has deficient phlegm, rapid breathing, panting, closed eyes, red eyes with swollen eyelids, mental fatigue, yawning, murmuring sounds, high fever throughout the body, dark urine, constipation, and occasional fright and irritability. This is due to heat accumulation in the womb or mistaken use of warming agents, causing heat to accumulate internally and steam the fetal qi, resulting in this condition. If left untreated for a long time, conditions such as thrush, double tongue, wooden tongue, erysipelas, and purple tumors may arise. One should first decoct Mutong San (Akebia Decoction) for the mother to drink, allowing the medicine to enter the breast milk for the infant to consume. This unblocks heart qi and resolves烦热 (irritating heat). Then, wash both eyes with Sisheng San (Four Saints Powder) using warm water. Once the eyes open, administer Dihuang Gao (Rehmannia Ointment). For any fetal disease, do not seek quick effects. First, let the lactating mother take medicine so that the remedy passes through the milk to gradually resolve the issue; this ensures almost no failure. If one abruptly attacks with cooling medicines, other diseases will surely arise. The lactating mother should still avoid spicy, pungent, alcoholic, and wheat products to easily achieve peace and prevent recurrence.

Fetal Cold: Within the first hundred days after birth, the infant feels cold in the mouth, has abdominal pain, shivering chills, occasional tremors, curled legs, clenched fists, incessant crying day and night, or locked jaw. Fetal cold originates during pregnancy when the mother suffered abdominal pain. The Jingyi (Classic of Obstetrics) states: Fetal cold often involves abdominal pain. Also, if the parturient woman enjoys sweet, rich, raw, and cold seasonal fruits, or contracts wind-cold, summerheat, or dampness before delivery and is treated with cooling medicines, injuring fetal qi internally, the infant will be lethargic and sleepy after birth, occasionally having white diarrhea after breastfeeding. If not treated early, it will inevitably become slow convulsion or slow spleen syndrome. Use Danggui San (Angelica Decoction) to alleviate pain, Yunqi San (Regulating Qi Decoction) to regulate qi, Baizhu San (Atractylodes Macrocephala Decoction) to nourish stomach qi, and Baishaoyao Tang (White Peony Root Decoction) to dispel cold-dampness. The lactating mother should further observe dietary restrictions.

Fetal Obesity: Born with thick muscles and reddish blood color throughout the body. After one month, gradually becomes emaciated, whites of the eyes are prominent, five-center heat (palms, soles, chest), difficulty with bowel movements, and frequent salivation. This is Fetal Obesity.

Fetal Weakness: Born with dull complexion, thin muscles, watery stools, lack of blood color in the body, and lack of luster in the eyes. Treat primarily with the Yuti Method (Body Bathing Method).

Fetal Jaundice: Upon birth, the entire body, face, and eyes are yellow, resembling gold color, with high fever, constipation, urine like gardenia juice, poor appetite, and incessant crying. This is a fetal condition, all caused by the mother absorbing heat which transmits to the fetus. For any such condition, both mother and infant should take Dihuang Tang (Rehmannia Decoction) and Dihuang Yinzi (Rehmannia Drink). If an infant is slightly yellow after one hundred days or half a year without illness, it is stomach heat. If yellow from birth, it is fetal jaundice. The classics state: All jaundices are heat-related; deep yellow color indicates this. Xijiao San (Rhinoceros Horn Decoction) is the primary treatment. If pale yellow mixed with white, it is stomach deficiency; Baizhu San (Atractylodes Macrocephala Decoction) is the primary treatment.

Fetal Fright: Due to the pregnant woman’s irregular lifestyle, drinking alcohol, indulging desires, anger, shock, or jolts, whatever touches the mother affects the fetus. Or externally, wind pathogens injure the fetus. Thus, the child inherits the mother’s qi and falls ill immediately after birth. Symptoms within the first month include low-grade fever, rolling eyes, clenched fists, locked jaw, grinding teeth, stiff body and waist, flooding saliva, vomiting, convulsions, frightened crying, shrinking cheeks, open fontanelle, red cheeks, or blue face, and closed eyes. Whenever fetal wind presents with closed eyes, do not mistakenly treat it as slow spleen syndrome and recklessly use warming medicines. Conditions such as drooping eyes and locked jaw are also manifestations of this type. Observe the qi color between the eyebrows: if red and bright green, it is treatable; if dark, blue-black, it is untreatable. If the tiger-mouth fingerprint curves inward, it is treatable; if it extends outward, it is untreatable. First, disperse wind pathogens, benefit from calming fright, resolve phlegm, regulate qi, and apply patches to the fontanelle. In severe cases, use Zhuyin Wan (Cinnabar Silver Pill) to purge. Since it is difficult to medicate newborns, if this condition occurs, urgently take pig milk, finely grind Niuhuang (Calculus Bovis), and Shexiang (Musk), mix in small amounts, and smear into the mouth for immediate recovery.

Locked Belly: Caused by heat accumulating in the womb, with abundant heat-toxin blocking the anus, closing it off without lubrication. If stool does not pass by the third day, urgently instruct a woman to rinse her mouth with warm water, then suck on seven points of the infant: front and back of the chest, below the navel, and centers of hands and feet, four or five times. Still, dissolve Banqian (Calomel, 0.5 qian) and a little honey in warm water, and administer small amounts frequently until passage occurs. If still blocked, the anus is internally closed; use an object to penetrate and open it. A gold hairpin is best, a jade hairpin is second best. Insert about two cun, then insert Suhexiang Wan (Styrax Pill) into the hole. Relief comes when feces are expelled. If the abdomen is distended, unable to suckle or eat, groaning, and reaching the seventh day (one week), hope for survival is slim.

Failure to Suckle: Refers to the newborn not sucking milk upon exiting the amniotic sac. When the infant first emerges, if the cry has not started, urgently wipe the mouth with hand to ensure all foul blood is cleared and not swallowed; then there will be no other illness. If wiping is incomplete and foul matter enters the abdomen, it causes abdominal fullness, shortness of breath, and inability to suckle. Or if the mother exposed herself to excessive cold, causing the fetus to absorb cold, leading to infant abdominal pain. Use Fuling Wan (Poria Pill) and Muxiang Binglang San (Costus and Betel Nut Powder) for treatment.

Umbilical Wind: Refers to after cutting the umbilical cord, being invaded by water-dampness and wind-cold. Damp-wind qi enters the umbilicus and flows into the heart and spleen, causing abdominal distension, umbilical swelling, heavy body, rigid limbs, frequent crying day and night, inability to suckle, and eventually wind convulsions. If the umbilical area is blue-black, mouth pursed and unable to open, it is internal convulsion, untreatable. If fingernails are black, death ensues. If heat is in the chest, extending and retracting with strained breathing, it also causes umbilical swelling. Qianjin Longdan Tang (Qianjin Gentian Root Decoction) is excellent for treatment.

Pursed Mouth: Yellow-red face and eyes, rapid breathing, absent crying. This is due to fetal qi carrying heat combined with wind pathogens entering the umbilicus, flowing toxins into the heart and spleen meridians, causing stiff tongue, blue lips, pursed mouth, and difficulty feeding. If white foam issues from the mouth and limbs are cold, it is incurable. Abdominal distension, visible blue veins, hanging intestines, hernia, and internal qi pulling pain are all caused by gastrointestinal stagnation and blockage. Treatment values dispersing and purging. Pursed mouth is the most urgent condition. Seeing it within the first lunar month is especially severe. Use Chensha Gao (Cinnabar Paste) to purge for immediate recovery.

Locked Wind: Eyes locked, mouth closed, voice gradually diminishing, flesh on the tongue gathered like millet grains, unable to suckle, spitting white foam, normal urination and defecation. Appearing after full month up to 120 days is called Fanfeng Jin (Violating Wind Lock). Follow methods to care for and prevent this beforehand. But if this condition exists, urgently check if the infant has spots. First, gently scratch them with fingernails, then administer Dingming San (Life-Determining Powder) or Chensha Quanxie San (Cinnabar and Scorpion Powder). If the mouth remains locked and various medicines fail, use Sheng Nanxing (Raw Arisaema) peeled and de-umbilicated, ground to extremely fine powder, mixed with a little Longnao (Borneol). Dip finger in fresh ginger juice and rub on the molar roots to open the mouth immediately. Although Umbilical Wind, Pursed Mouth, and Locked Wind differ, their source of disease is one. Generally, interior qi stagnation and blockage should all take Dan Dou Chi Zhi (Fermented Soybean Juice) to drink and expel fetal toxins. Qianjin states: Newborns have strong qi and abundant essence; if even slight ailments occur, purgatives must be used. If not purged promptly, major diseases develop, difficult to treat. Zishuang Wan (Purple Frost Pill) should be given according to dosage.